A Beginner’s Guide to Fly Fishing Reels

Fly fishing reels are essential pieces of fly-fishing equipment, but they are a comparatively simple affair.

The free-spool baitcasting reels commonly used for salmon fishing have all sorts of finicky little parts that have to be constantly cleaned and oiled. A fly reel, by contrast, is remarkably straightforward. It really has only two working parts – the spool and the drag mechanism – and it doesn’t need nearly so much effort to maintain.

Presumably because fly fishing reels are so simple in design and construction, they are the one essential piece of fly-fishing tackle where these days, you can actually get quite good quality for a very low price.

Fly Reel Design and Function

Fly fishing reels are round and compact. They have a small handle that is attached directly to the spool but which doesn’t protrude very far out from the spool.

Ross Flycast Reel (viewed from back and front)

The spool of a fly reel revolves at exactly the speed the angler turns the handle. This is in contrast to other types of fishing reel, where because of the presence of gears, the spool may move through up to 5 or 6 revolutions for every turn of the handle.

Reels used for surf salmon fishing in New Zealand, for example, are designed so that the lure can be retrieved through the water at high speed without the angler having to over-exert himself.

But with fly-fishing, there is no need to retrieve the fly through the water using the reel. When the fly is retrieved, it’s usually done by tugging the line with your free hand, not by cranking the reel.

While your fly reel is essential, it doesn’t play nearly as great a part in the process of getting your fly to the fish as your rod and fly line do. Basically, your reel is there to house your line. Only after you strip your fly line off your reel does it become useful to you.

Of course, sometimes your reel will see intense action when you are playing a fish. But much of the time, your reel will sit idle while you concentrate on sending your fly line back out onto the water with the help of your rod.

Fly Fishing Reel Buying Tips

If someone gave me $1,000 to buy a rod, reel and fly line, I would spend $700 on the rod, $200 on fly line, and only $100 on the reel. I use a Taimer TZ reel, which is designed to hold about 30 metres of 6 to 8 weight fly line.

This reel is made of graphite, so it is strong and lightweight. It has a wide, flat spool and the drag mechanism is housed within a graphite drum so that it can’t get clogged up with dust and grit. It has a small hardwood handle that is counter-balanced by a steel knob.

The Taimer TZ reel looks good and does exactly what it’s supposed to do without any fuss – that is, it gives you simple, easy access to your fly line when you need it. And this excellent little reel costs a grand total of about $50US. It is good to know that you can save a bit of money on something!

Important Point!

There is one very important thing to remember when buying a reel: your reel should not be too heavy for your rod. Reels come in different sizes, and if you buy one that is too big and heavy for the rod, your outfit will be unbalanced and the rod won’t cast as well as it would with a smaller, lighter reel. In other words, balance is the ultimate consideration when putting together a fly-fishing outfit.

Related posts:

1. Fly Casting Basics for the Beginner
2. A Guide to Dry Fly Fishing Techniques